Wednesday, May 11, 2011

JIVANMUKTI (Liberation — Here and Now) by Swami Shantananda Puri

His Holiness Sri Swami Shantananda Puri of Vasistha Guha (Himalayas) belongs to that illustrious heritage of Spiritual Masters, about which our Motherland is proud of. He is a scholar, par excellence, in Vedic Scriptures as well as in Puranic texts such as Bhagavatam. His deep knowledge and lucid exposition of Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Vasishtha, Ashtavakra Gita, have made him a popular and lovable guide and Guru for those thirsty for spiritual guidance and knowledge. His simplicity, transparent heart, deep faith in the Divine Force and absolute surrender to THAT, have made him an ideal combination of Jnana, Bhakti, and Vairagya. His mastery in Sanskrit, English, Tamil and Hindi and his vast experience and deep insight have drawn innumerable followers from India and abroad.

Some of the books authored by His Holiness that have been popular among the spiritual seekers are : “Srimad Bhagavatam: Its Message for the Modern Man”, “Sadhanas in Bhagavad Gita”, “Fragrant Flowers”, “The Quantum Leap into Absolute”. Some of these books have already appeared in translation also in Kannada, Hindi and Telugu. He has written a commendable commentary in Hindi and Tamil on Shivasahasranamam. He has composed in Sanskrit Sri Ramana Maharshi Suprabhatam which has been brought out by Sri Ramanasramam by way of a cassette which has been very popular.

The present title, Jivanmukti (Liberation — Here and Now) is an interesting exposition of the sacred knowledge of liberation as is contained in the Upanishads, Yogavashistha, Jeevanmukti Viveka, Ashtavakra Samhita and other ancient texts. This monograph is a beautiful mirror of Swami’s deep knowledge and experience as well as intuition.